1. Customer Service, Balanced Scorecards: The Road to Becoming a Service-Oriented Organization1

2. Art and Science of Customer Service
Personal style used to interact with customers
Art
Defined expectations for customer interactions
Science
Successfully blending the art with the science
Great Customer Service

3. Connecting the Dots Student Success Department Results
Individual Customer Service
Department Results
Student Success
Every Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) employee provides customer service every day.
Our customer service impacts our performance.
Our performance impacts our department.
Our department impacts student success.

4. Today’s Agenda Performance-Based Culture at TPS Customer service
Why customer service?
Customer service
What is exceptional service?
Phrases that affect service
Problem-solving technique 4

5. Strategic Plan

6. Initiative Foundation
Every TPS employee plays an important role in ensuring all students graduate from high school on time and fully ready for college or work.
To maximize our impact we are focusing on Performance-Based Culture as described in the Strategic Plan 2015 and endorsed by the Board of Education.

7. Performance-Based Culture
Create an environment for sustainable performance improvement and accomplishment of the District’s Vision, Mission, Core Goals and Core Beliefs
Diligently monitor and report staff and student progress on Strategic Plan initiatives to enhance trust through transparency, promote continuous improvement and determine success via observable and measurable standards.
Improve alignment of District goals and objectives to focus on the most critical District priorities while fostering an environment of innovation based upon data-driven decisions.

8. Initiative Overview
Create a system of shared accountability that fosters collaboration, improvement and customer focus.
Align goals at all levels so every employee understands their role and contribution to student success.
Facilitate culture change while ensuring there is a highly effective employee in every position.

9. Creating Shared Accountability
District Strategic Plan
School Results
Principal Evaluation
Teacher Evaluation
Department Scorecard
Central Service Evaluation
Superintendent Performance Incentive
District Measures of Success

10. Good News Travels Slowly
And bad news travels everywhere.
Who has an example to share?

11. Why Performance Management?
Why Customer Service?
Identifies areas for continuous improvement
Recognizes excellence
Increases public image
Focuses on customers and stakeholders needs
Builds relationships
Facilitates a culture of accountability 11 11

12. What is Customer Service?
What is a Scorecard?
What is Customer Service?
It is HOW you do something—not WHAT you do.
It is the attitude you reflect outwardly that says the customer is important. 12 12

13. Questions? 13

14. Define Exceptional Service—10 Minutes
Divide into groups.
List the qualities that make up exceptional service.
NOTE: CAN ALSO BE DONE AS ONE LARGE GROUP WITH PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING ANSWERS TO BE RECORDED ON CHART PAPER.

15. Group Share Out Each group shares out their list.
Identify common themes.
Create a common definition for exceptional service at TPS.

16. Developing a New Language
As we transform into a customer service -focused organization, we need to look at HOW we communicate, such as:
Incorporating new terms into our responses.
Rephrasing our responses to be more customer friendly.

17. Phrases that Affect Service
Help
Hurt
Provide answers or solutions
State positively
Make the customer feel appreciated
Use a friendly tone
Don’t answer the question or offer solutions
State negatively
Make the customer feel unwanted
Use a rude tone

18. Help or Hurt?
It will be a few minutes. Would you like to hold or should I call you back?
That’s our policy.
No problem. I’ll take care of it.
I don’t know.
I’m not sure how to handle this , but I’ll find out who does.
I can’t help you. The computer is down.
Handout that has examples for these will be distributed at the end as take aways.

19. Questions? 19

20. Common Issue: Solving Customer Problems
Everyone encounters a situation in which they need to help a customer solve a problem
In person
Over the phone
Through
Having a defined technique for resolution helps:
Provide consistent customer service
Improve results
Reduce follow up and re-work
Avoid angry customers

21. Begin by Listening
ASK questions to really understand the problem (“Tell me what happened”).
LISTEN to the response.
ALLOW the customer to vent.
REPHRASE the problem .
CHECK for understanding. Are you on the same page?

22. Show you care about the customer. Offer a real apology.
ASAP Technique
Defined problem-solving technique using four simple steps:
Show you care about the customer. Offer a real apology.
Apologize
Prove you hear BOTH the facts and feelings connected to the problem. Empathizing builds trust.
Sympathize
Place no blame (NOT even partially) on the customer. This is a key step. Customers often take responsibility on their own when you do this.
Accept Responsibility
State what you are going to do to fix it. Be sure to get agreement from the customer.
Plan of Action

23. Questions? 23

24. Why Does it Matter? Remember: What gets measured gets improved!
Customer service impacts performance
Performance can be measured
Measures can be analyzed and improved
Improved performance impacts student success
Remember: What gets measured gets improved!
© 2012, Battelle for Kids. All Rights Reserved.

25. Balanced Scorecard
Customer service is included on EVERY scorecard in TPS.
We are ALL accountable for the service we provide to our customers.

26. Lessons Learned
An understanding that ALL work involves customer service.
An awareness that our communication choices affect customer service.
Knowledge of how to use the ASAP technique to solve customer problems.
An increased focus on customer service.
Thank you for your time. We appreciate your participation! 26

27. Measuring Success Provide outstanding customer service
We will be successful when all departments and employees . . .
Align their work to District goals
Know their impact on student achievement
Use data to learn and improve
Have support/feedback on clear job expectations
Provide outstanding customer service
Optimize efficiency to maximize resources

28. © 2012, Battelle for Kids. All Rights Reserved.